AIM: To compare and analyze the clinical treatment effect of primary pterygium with amniotic membrane transplantation, autologous corneal limbus stem cell transplantation and intraoperative application of 0.2g/L mitomycin C.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 232 patients who were underwent primary pterygium surgery was performed. Eighty-two cases were treated with amniotic membrane transplantation, 90 with autologous corneal limbus stem cell transplantation, and 60 with intraoperative application of 0.2g/L mitomycin C. The postoperative recurrence and complications of three operative methods were compared.

RESULTS: The recurrence rate of autologous corneal limbus stem cell transplantation and intraoperative application of 0.2g/L mitomycin C was lower than that of amniotic membrane transplantation(P<0.05). The recurrence rate between autologous corneal limbus stem cell transplantation and intraoperative application of 0.2g/L mitomycin C had no difference(P>0.05). Corneal epithelium defect, tears and photophobia were higher in 0.2g/L mitomycin C group(P<0.05), which were no statistical difference between autologous corneal limbus stem cell transplantation and amniotic membrane transplantation(P>0.05). Conjunctival congestion and subconjunctival hemorrhage in three groups had no statistical difference(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Compared with other two operative methods,autologous corneal limbus stem cell transplantation for primary pterygium has the advantages of lower recurrence rate and less complications.